The invention relates to a device for supplying groups of filled and closed containers to a downstream treatment device, comprising a supply track, a distribution member for arranging the containers at a distance from each other, a tilting device, a downstream transport track and a finger track extending along at least a section of the transport track for moving a certain number of containers present on the transport track to the treatment device.
In a known device of this type, the containers are supplied standing upright on the supply track. A turnstile which ensures that the containers on the supply track are arranged a certain distance from each other is arranged at the end of the supply track. From the supply track the containers arrive on a tilting track, downstream from the supply track, on which the containers are brought from the upright position into a horizontal position. The containers in the horizontal position are transported further by means of the transport track in the direction of the treatment device. The finger track, i.e. a track which is provided with one or more fingers projecting between the containers on the transport track, extends along the end section of the transport track. When the front container of a row of containers on the transport track has reached the end of the transport track, which is signalled by means of a sensor, the container which at that instant is present immediately in front of the area over which the finger track extends on the transport track, is restrained for a short time. As a result an additional space is provided between this container and the container lying in front of it on the transport track, in which space a finger of the finger track positions itself. Due to the fact that the finger track runs at a greater speed than the transport track (about 1.5 times as great), the row of cans present on the end section of the transport track are carried along by these fingers and pushed off the transport track into the treatment device. This process is repeated when the container which has been restrained earlier for a short time has reached the end of the transport track.
The above-described device has, however, a number of drawbacks. In view of the fact that the mutual distance between the containers on the transport track is not constant, which is a consequence of the manner in which the containers are tilted on the tilting track, the supply of the containers has to be adjusted in a manner such that the average number of containers pushed into the treatment device per cycle is smaller than the maximum number of containers which the treatment device will be able to accept in each cycle. This is to prevent the number of containers pushed in at a given instant from being larger than the capacity of the treatment device. This means that the treatment device is not optimally filled. Furthermore, due to the transport track being of necessity fairly long and due to the presence of the tilting track, the overall length of the device is fairly large and the device occupies a comparatively large amount of space. The device is moreover of fairly complicated construction and comprises many components of which of larger number are moreover designed to be movable. This results in the device being expensive. It is an additional disadvantage that the containers fall over when they are tilted, which may be disadvantageous in the case of glass containers.